Deck 13: Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood

Question 1

Which child is likely to develop a self-concept based upon independence and self-assertion?

A) Charin, from China
B) Iniki, from Japan
C) Pedro, from Puerto Rico
D) Michael, from the United States

Answer 1

D

Question 2

During childhood and adolescence, ______________ correlates more strongly with overall self-worth than does any other self-esteem factor.

A) academic achievement
B) physical appearance
C) social competence
D) athletic ability

Answer 2

B

Question 3

School-age children with a history of _________ have more complex, favorable, and coherent self-concepts.

A) elaborative parent-child conversations about past experiences
B) authoritarian parent-child interactions
C) permissive parent-child interactions
D) routine parent-child conversations about current events

Answer 3

A

Question 4

From middle childhood on, individual differences in self-esteem become

A) less well-defined.
B) increasingly stable.
C) more flexible.
D) less important.

Question 5

Six-year-old Hector is about to start formal schooling. Hector's family life has not prepared him for school life. According to Erikson, Hector is in danger of developing a sense of

A) shame.
B) isolation.
C) mistrust.
D) inadequacy.

Question 6

The Ngoni of Malawi believe that when children ______________, they are mature enough for intensive skill training.

A) shed their first teeth
B) reach puberty
C) finish school
D) reach the age of 10

Question 7

For most children, self-esteem rises from ______ on.

A) preschool
B) second grade
C) fourth grade
D) sixth grade

Question 8

The psychological conflict of middle childhood is resolved positively when

A) children learn to have basic confidence in the future.
B) experiences lead children to develop a sense of competence at useful skills and tasks.
C) experiences lead children to develop a mature identity.
D) children learn to think in terms of conflict-free ideals, rather than conflict-laden reality.

Question 9

Marcus, a self-confident preschooler, is about to enter elementary school. Based on research, Marcus's parents can expect his self-esteem to ________ over the next few years.

A) decline
B) increase
C) remain at the same level
D) fluctuate drastically

Question 10

According to George Herbert Mead, as children become better at reading and internalizing others' messages, they form a(n) ______ self.

A) real
B) ideal
C) inferior
D) hierarchical

Question 11

When describing themselves, older school-age children are _____ likely than younger children to _________________.

A) less; include both positive and negative personality traits
B) more; describe themselves in extreme ways
C) less; describe themselves in comparison to peers
D) far less; describe themselves in all-or-nothing ways

Question 12

According to George Herbert Mead, ________ skills are crucial for developing a self-concept based on personality traits.

A) social comparison
B) emotional self-regulation
C) perspective-taking
D) classification

Question 13

Which of the following children is the most likely to have a sense of industry?

A) Rona, who has an overly high self-concept
B) Jackson, who gets along with older children, but does not cooperate with agemates
C) Boulous, who has a positive but realistic self-concept
D) Shanna, who has little confidence in her abilities

Question 14

Which of the following statements accurately reflects the change in self-description that typically occurs between ages 8 and 11?

A) Children tend to describe themselves by focusing on specific behaviors.
B) Children will describe positive, but not negative, personality traits.
C) Children organize their observations of behaviors and internal states into general descriptions.
D) Children are likely to describe themselves in unrealistically extreme ways.

Question 15

Carrie, age 8, has high social self-esteem. Of the following statements, which most likely applies to Carrie?

A) She is perceived to be a bit snobbish by her classmates.
B) She outperforms the majority of her classmates in schoolwork.
C) She tends to be well-liked by her classmates.
D) She often gets other classmates into trouble.

Question 16

As children enter school and receive more feedback about how well they perform compared with their peers, self-esteem usually

A) adjusts to an extremely high level.
B) stays the same as it was during the preschool years.
C) adjusts to a more realistic level.
D) adjusts to an extremely low level.

Question 17

According to Erikson, the psychological conflict of middle childhood is

A) autonomy versus shame and doubt.
B) initiative versus guilt.
C) industry versus inferiority.
D) identity versus role confusion.

Question 18

Which of the following children is most likely to compare herself to just one other person and use that information as a basis for self-evaluation?

A) Jessica, age 5
B) Estelle, age 7
C) Mariah, age 9
D) Shelly, age 11

Question 19

Jenna observes that she is better at acting than her peers but not so good at basketball. Jenna is engaging in

A) social comparisons.
B) perspective taking.
C) attribution retraining.
D) emotional self-efficacy.

Question 20

Which of the following people is Juanita, a middle-school student, most likely to look to for feedback about herself?

A) Aunt Eva, who Juanita sees a few times a month
B) Mr. Reckle, Juanita's science teacher
C) Kaitlynn, Juanita's best friend
D) Carlos, Juanita's 8-year-old brother

Question 21

__________ parenting is correlated with unrealistically high self-esteem, which undermines development.

A) Indulgent
B) Authoritarian
C) Authoritative
D) Uninvolved

Question 22

Mastery-oriented children focus on ________ goals, while learned-helpless children focus on ________ goals.

A) fixed; incremental
B) incremental; learning
C) learning; performance
D) performance; fixed

Question 23

Mrs. Cybrig would like to help her low-effort daughter gain a sense of academic competence. Which of the following would you recommend to her?

A) Select tasks that challenge, but do not overwhelm her daughter.
B) Attribute her daughter's successes to intelligence rather than effort.
C) Compare her daughter to her higher-achieving son by using prizes for good grades.
D) Select tasks that her daughter can easily do, so she can have success.

Question 24

Braison is receiving an intervention that encourages him to believe that he can overcome failure by exerting more effort. Braison is receiving

A) learned success.
B) attribution retraining.
C) mastery orientation.
D) academic mediation.

Question 25

Asian parents and teachers are more likely than their American counterparts to

A) hold a fixed view of ability.
B) attend more to success than to failure.
C) ignore a child's inadequate performance.
D) hold an incremental view of ability.

Question 26

Learned-helpless children

A) are more persistent than other children.
B) are more likely to see the connection between effort and success.
C) attribute their failures to bad luck.
D) hold a fixed view of ability.

Question 27

Which statement about self-esteem is true?

A) American cultural values have deemphasized a focus on self-esteem.
B) Compared with their Caucasian agemates, African-American children tend to have slightly higher self-esteem.
C) Compared with U.S. children, Asian children tend to have slightly higher self-esteem.
D) Gender-stereotyped beliefs have little, in any, effect on self-esteem.

Question 28

Teachers who emphasize learning over getting good grades tend to have

A) average to below-average achieving students.
B) more learned-helpless students.
C) mastery-oriented students.
D) students who have low motivation and achievement.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is true about gender differences in self-esteem?

A) Only a slight difference exists between boys and girls in overall self-esteem.
B) Boys' overall sense of self-worth is much higher than girls'.
C) Girls' overall sense of self-worth is much higher than boys'.
D) By the end of middle childhood, girls are more confident than boys about their physical appearance.

Question 30

Children whose parents use a(n) ___________ child-rearing style feel especially good about themselves.

A) authoritarian
B) permissive
C) authoritative
D) uninvolved

Question 31

When Amanda succeeds, her mother says, "You're so smart!" This type of trait statement might lead Amanda to

A) exert more effort when faced with a challenge.
B) question her competence in the face of a setback.
C) focus on learning rather than performance.
D) pay little attention to her academic achievements.

Question 32

Profound feelings of shame

A) motivate children to take on further challenges.
B) prompt children to exert greater effort.
C) compel children to strive for self-improvement.
D) can trigger withdrawal and depression.

Question 33

When 8-year-old Marcie accidentally spills orange juice and has a stain on her t-shirt for the rest of the day, she is likely to feel

A) sad.
B) angry.
C) guilty.
D) ashamed.

Question 34

______ prompts children to make amends.

A) Pride
B) Guilt
C) Shame
D) Anger

Question 35

Margaret is high in academic self-esteem and motivation. She probably credits her successes to

A) luck.
B) favoritism.
C) a fixed ability.
D) ability and effort.

Question 36

Compared with U.S. children, Asian children

A) score lower in self-esteem.
B) have lower academic achievement.
C) rely more on social comparisons to promote their self-esteem.
D) are reserved in their praise of others.

Question 37

Steven and Stephanie have equal skill levels in math, science, and language arts. Which of the following is probably true?

A) Stephanie has higher math self-esteem.
B) Steven has higher language-arts self-esteem.
C) They have equal academic self-esteem.
D) Steven has higher math and science self-esteem.

Question 38

Girls more often than boys

A) attribute poor performance to lack of ability.
B) view failures as stemming from external factors.
C) attribute setbacks to insufficient effort.
D) tend to receive mastery-oriented support from teachers.

Question 39

In which of the following scenarios is Henry, age 9, the most likely to experience guilt?

A) He accidentally knocks his friend over while running on the playground.
B) He breaks his mother's favorite glass while trying to help her clean the dishes.
C) He forgets to clean up his toys before leaving for school.
D) He peeks at the answers of his classmate during a spelling quiz.

Question 40

Thad, age 8, has a profile of low self-esteem in all areas. Of the following statements, which most likely applies to Thad?

A) He tends to be well-liked by his classmates.
B) He suffers from anxiety or depression.
C) He relies less on social comparisons to promote his self-esteem.
D) He is a conscientious worker in his school subjects.

Question 41

Ten-year-old Justine has a feeling of being in control of her emotional experience. Justine has acquired

A) problem-centered coping.
B) emotion-centered coping.
C) emotional self-efficacy.
D) self-conscious emotions.

Question 42

The likelihood that a child will negatively evaluate an adult's order to commit an immoral act

A) is much greater for a child from a collectivist, rather than an individualist, society.
B) depends primarily on the child's gender, with boys being more likely than girls to respond negatively.
C) is directly related to the child's socioeconomic status.
D) is unrelated to the child's cultural background.

Question 43

Kelsi's best friend tells her she does not want to be her friend anymore because she likes Jessica better. Although Kelsi is sad, she tells herself that she has many other friends to play with and she spends the evening listening to her favorite songs. Kelsi is using

A) problem-centered coping.
B) emotion-centered coping.
C) learned helplessness.
D) mastery-oriented attribution.

Question 44

Axel can "step into his brother's shoes" and view his own thoughts, feelings, and behavior from his brother's point of view. Axel is at the stage of ________ perspective taking.

A) undifferentiated
B) social-informational
C) self-reflective
D) third-party

Question 45

________ declines in middle childhood.

A) Moral understanding
B) Social-conventional understanding
C) Prejudice
D) Children's understanding of God

Question 46

Nine-year-old Simpson is emotionally understanding and empathetic. He probably

A) also has favorable social relationships and prosocial behavior.
B) is picked on by other children because he is "too sensitive."
C) retreats from social situations for fear of being overwhelmed by the emotions of others.
D) cannot yet engage in perspective taking.

Question 47

In middle childhood, children realize that people whose ______ differs may not be equally responsible for moral transgressions.

A) gender
B) ethnicity
C) knowledge
D) nationality

Question 48

Grayson understands that third-party perspective taking can be influenced by societal values. Grayson is at the stage of ________ perspective taking.

A) undifferentiated
B) social-informational
C) self-reflective
D) societal

Question 49

Children everywhere seem to realize that _________ must prevail when _________ is/are at stake.

A) higher principles; personal rights
B) deference to authority; personal welfare
C) respect for adults; personal matters
D) rules; collective rights

Question 50

In response to a story about unjust parental punishment, which of the following children is most likely to say that he or she would feel OK, rather than angry?

A) Dalaja, a Hindu girl
B) Joslyn, an American girl
C) Ashoka, a Buddhist boy
D) Samuel, an American boy

Question 51

Between ages 6 and 12, children

A) become more aware of circumstances likely to spark mixed emotions.
B) are likely to explain emotion by referring to external events.
C) only experience guilt over transgressions if an adult is present.
D) report feeling guilt for any mishap, whether intentional or not.

Question 52

In middle childhood, children realize that people's ________ and ____________ affect the moral implications of violating a social convention.

A) intentions; the context of their actions
B) age; intelligence
C) gender; the context of their actions
D) religion; nationality

Question 53

Eight-year-old Rachael, a Canadian child, is likely to

A) say that telling the truth is always good.
B) say that telling a lie is always bad.
C) favor lying to support the group at the expense of the individual.
D) favor lying to support the individual at the expense of the group.

Question 54

Emotional self-efficacy

A) enables a child to resist an impulse to engage in socially inappropriate behavior.
B) fosters a pessimistic outlook.
C) prevents a child from understanding and responding sympathetically to the feelings of others.
D) fosters a favorable self-image.

Question 55

In one study, 8- to 10-year-olds judged the moral implications of flag burning. Which of the following was a judgment the children made?

A) They stated that private flag burning is worse than public flag burning.
B) They stated that burning a flag to start a cooking fire was worse than burning it accidentally.
C) They agreed that it was never acceptable to burn a flag, even in a country that treated its citizens unfairly.
D) They stated that burning a flag accidentally was worse than burning it to express disapproval of a country.

Question 56

Helena understands that different perspectives may result because people have access to different information. Helena is at the stage of ________ perspective taking.

A) undifferentiated
B) social-informational
C) self-reflective
D) third-party

Question 57

A'isha has the capacity to imagine what other people may be thinking and feeling. A'isha has developed

A) social referencing.
B) self-conceptualization.
C) perspective taking.
D) emotional self-efficacy.

Question 58

Ten-year-old Stanley knows that his friend MaryAnn is angry because he played with Chester at recess. The next day, Stanley invites MaryAnn to play with Chester and him. Stanley is using

A) emotion-centered coping.
B) problem-centered coping.
C) learned helplessness.
D) emotional self-efficacy.

Question 59

As early as age 6, children

A) recognize the importance of individual rights for maintaining a fair society.
B) view freedom of speech and religion as individual rights.
C) place limits on individual choice.
D) express very few prejudices.

Question 60

Eleven-year-old Elin is in line at the drinking fountain. When a boy pushes her from behind, Elin is most likely to respond

A) by crying.
B) using verbal strategies.
C) using physical aggression.
D) by sulking.

Question 61

Holden, a prosocial child, is friends with Jack, an aggressive child. Which of the following is most likely to be true?

A) They will remain friends through adulthood.
B) They will have a high exchange of private feelings.
C) Each boy will be able to rely on support from the other.
D) Their friendship will be riddled with hostile interaction.

Question 62

Charlene received many positive and no negative votes on peer acceptance self-reports from the children in her class. How would Charlene be classified?

A) popular
B) rejected
C) controversial
D) neglected

Question 63

Children __________ are _____ likely to hold racial and ethnic prejudices.

A) who believe that personality traits are changeable; more
B) with average to low-self esteem; more
C) who say their own ethnicity makes them feel especially good; less
D) with very high self-esteem; more

Question 64

Children's peer acceptance self-reports reveal that controversial children receive

A) a high number of positive and negative votes.
B) a high number of negative votes.
C) few positive or negative votes.
D) no extreme scores.

Question 65

Which of the following is most likely true about 8-year-old Aja?

A) She has a lot of friends of varying ages.
B) She has a few good friends, who do not resemble her in personality.
C) She has only a handful of good friends, who, like Aja, are popular and do well in school.
D) She has a lot of friends of diverse ethnic and SES groups.

Question 66

The most striking feature of children's concepts of God is

A) how different their thinking is from that of adults.
B) their mix of tangible and intangible features.
C) that their representations of God are restricted to a "big person" image.
D) that their thinking is not strongly influenced by religious education.

Question 67

Adult involvement in formal groups, such as 4-H and scouting,

A) prevents children from realizing the gains in social maturity associated with peer groups.
B) prevents children from realizing the gains in moral maturity associated with peer groups.
C) holds in check the negative behaviors associated with informal peer groups.
D) stifles children's desire for formal or informal peer group belonging.

Question 68

When peer groups are tracked

A) for three to six weeks, substantial membership changes occur.
B) from year to year, membership changes very little even though classrooms are reshuffled.
C) from year to year, about 30 to 40 percent of groups consist mostly of the same children.
D) for three to six weeks, membership changes very little.

Question 69

Charles received few positive and many negative votes on peer acceptance self-reports from the children in his class. How would Charles be classified?

A) popular
B) rejected
C) controversial
D) neglected

Question 70

Within peer groups, children

A) learn to embrace their individuality and uniqueness.
B) acquire many social skills.
C) are unlikely to endorse excluding a member.
D) do not experience relational aggression.

Question 71

Children's peer acceptance self-reports reveal that neglected children receive

A) a high number of positive and negative votes.
B) a high number of negative votes.
C) mostly positive votes, with a few negative votes.
D) few positive or negative votes.

Question 72

During middle childhood, ________ is the defining feature of friendship.

A) trust
B) selectivity
C) power
D) conflict

Question 73

Delia and Tanner are both aggressive girls. Which of the following is probably true about their friendship?

A) It is low in exchange of private feelings.
B) It is full of relational hostility.
C) It involves frequent physical attacks.
D) It is unlikely to include jealousy or betrayal.

Question 74

Which of the following is true about reducing prejudices?

A) Long-term contact and collaboration in neighborhoods, schools, and communities may be the best way to reduce prejudices.
B) Children assigned to cooperative learning groups with peers of diverse backgrounds have fewer prejudices even with regard to out-group members who are not part of the learning teams.
C) Classrooms that expose children to broad ethnic diversity often cause children to form negative biases about out-group members.
D) The more children believe that personalities are fixed, the more they report liking and perceiving themselves as similar to members of disadvantaged groups.

Question 75

By the end of middle childhood, children form ______ on the basis of proximity, gender, ethnicity, and popularity.

A) social clubs
B) social networks
C) peer groups
D) dominance hierarchies

Question 76

Which of the following statements about peer groups is true?

A) They rebuff members who deviate from their codes of dress and behavior.
B) Religion is a primary factor in the formation of peer groups.
C) Peer groups are diverse in terms of ethnic and gender composition.
D) They are usually non-exclusive.

Question 77

Which of the following is true about inequality?

A) Unless their parents are racist, children rarely demonstrate negative racial attitudes.
B) White children's parents' and friends' racial attitudes typically resemble their own.
C) By the early school years, children associate power and privilege with white people.
D) Most children's attitudes about group status come exclusively from explicit messages from adults.

Question 78

Self-reports that measure social prominence assess

A) peer acceptance.
B) peer culture.
C) gender typing.
D) friendships.

Question 79

Previous research about children's understanding of God led to a uniform conclusion that children

A) had an abstract, mystical view of God.
B) assigned anthropomorphic characteristics to God.
C) saw God as omniscient and omnipotent.
D) were not limited to parental images of God.

Question 80

Which of the following is true about in-group and out-group racial biases?

A) By age 5 to 7, minority children generally evaluate their own racial group favorably.
B) After age 7 or 8, majority, but not minority, children express in-group favoritism.
C) By age 5 to 7, white children generally evaluate other racial groups less favorably.
D) White children's prejudice against out-group members usually strengthens after age 7 or 8.